Description
It has long been known to improve blood lipid levels and it is thought to do this through its strengthening of liver function. For this reason it is often used to support patients struggling with fatty liver and difficultly controlling blood sugars[11].
Reishi/Ganoderma – The Immune and Liver Combo
This is an herb we think about using aggressively in most patients who have an autoimmune disease. It can be difficult to use other immune stimulating strategies with autoimmune patients because you can potentially stimulate the immune system to be better at killing yourself! This is bad. Because of the boost Reishi gives to Treg cells, this herb enhances the very system we want to enhance in an autoimmune patient. We want your immune system works more efficiently instead of just being suppressed.
This is particularly important when we have the combination of a chronic virus or tick borne infection in a patient who also has autoimmunity. This combination can be tricky because suppressing the immune system (the common medical strategy for autoimmune diseases) often makes the patient feel worse as the virus or Lyme Disease grows stronger when the immune system is weak, but enhancing the immune system makes the autoimmune destruction exacerbated so patients respond poorly to both strategies and Dr.’s often become confused. Reishi can be one of the best nutritional supports if you find yourself in this circumstance.
This is also a terrific herb for any patient struggling with Anaplasmosis (A common tick borne co-infection in MN and WI). I (Dr. Warren) learned this when my wife came down with this condition. Anaplasma is a chronic immune challenge that is particularly hard on the liver. With its combination immune and liver healing properties it’s not a surprise that my wife found Reishi particularly restoring for her.
References
7 Song-Tao Fan, Shao-Ping Nie, Xiao-Jun Huang, Sunan Wang, Jie-Lun Hu, Jun-Hua Xie, Qi-Xing Nie, Ming-Yong Xie,
Protective properties of combined fungal polysaccharides from Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma atrum on colon immune dysfunction, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 114, 2018, Pages 1049-1055, ISSN 0141-8130, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.04.004. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813018303805)
8 Li Ren, Jie Zhang, Tiehua Zhang, Immunomodulatory activities of polysaccharides from Ganoderma on immune effector cells, Food Chemistry, Volume 340, 2021, 127933, ISSN 0308-8146, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127933.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814620317957)
9 Chao-Yang Lai, Jung-Tung Hung, Hsin-Hung Lin, Alice L. Yu, Shu-Hwa Chen, Yi-Chien Tsai, Li-En Shao, Wen-Bin Yang, John Yu, Immunomodulatory and adjuvant activities of a polysaccharide extract of Ganoderma lucidum in vivo and in vitro, Vaccine, Volume 28, Issue 31, 2010, Pages 4945-4954, ISSN 0264-410X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.05.037. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X10007358)
10 Shi, Y., Sun, J., He, H., Guo, H., & Zhang, S. (2008). Hepatoprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum peptides against D-galactosamine-induced liver injury in mice. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 117(3), 415-419.
11 Haou-Tzong Ma, Jung-Feng Hsieh, Shui-Tein Chen, Anti-diabetic effects of Ganoderma lucidum,
Phytochemistry, Volume 114, 2015, Pages 109-113, ISSN 0031-9422, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2015.02.017.
12 Hsu, KD., Cheng, KC. From nutraceutical to clinical trial: frontiers in Ganoderma development. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 102, 9037–9051 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-018-9326-5
Warnings
Herbs included in this product can potentially interact with certain medications and/or may have adverse effects for individuals with certain medical conditions or allergies. Make sure to consult with your licensed healthcare provider before taking this product. Not for use during pregnancy or when breastfeeding. Store away from children
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